You may know APS as your energy provider – the utility service that powers the electricity for the devices and appliances your household depends on daily. But what if we told you they could be your future employer?
After graduating from high school, Vania Pacheco wasn’t certain of the path she wanted to embark on for her career. She decided to try applying her skills in communication at a customer service representative role for APS. For several years, Pacheco learned everything there was to know about APS, as well as how to make a difference in the lives of families, businesses, and property owners. During that time, she also developed an interest for instructional design through a fellow colleague, who became a mentor and helped her pursue that path.
As an instructional designer and with 15 years of experience working at APS, Pacheco fuses her strengths in communication and design to deliver high-quality, impactful training materials and curriculum for vital systems and software used across the company. Pacheco ensures that field technicians, office employees, and leaders are supported in the work they do so APS can continue to provide our state with one of our most important utilities.
Pacheco may have found the career path for her passions, but she remembers how tough the journey was to get to this point.
“When I was in high school, I did culinary arts, and so I thought I wanted to be a chef for the longest time. Then when I finished high school, I thought maybe I didn’t want to do that after all,” she said. “And my friend was going into nursing at the time, so I thought maybe I’ll just go for nursing because that’s what she was doing. It wasn’t my passion though – it wasn’t what I was good at…. And that’s why I say it’s really important to find what you love and what you’re good at – what you bring to the table – before you choose a career you want to follow.”
Whether it’s a career at APS or a business, or studying for post-secondary education, it may seem scary to choose where your talents would shine most. Vania Pacheco left us with a valuable piece of advice for our JAG students and alumni, “You don’t need to waste your time trying to follow someone else’s path to try to stay in the race, because in real life there is no race. When it comes to your career, if you follow your own path, you’ll find success…. Everyone has a different path, so follow yours.”
We couldn’t agree more.
Interested in exploring what APS has to offer? Find the path that works best for you.
Palo Verde / West-MEC Pre-Apprentice Program
APS Pre-Apprenticeship Program for lineworkers, electricians, auto mechanics, polyphase meterman.
APS Maintenance Apprenticeship Program
Entry-level positions for customer representatives, utilities, store management, coordinators.
Learn more about all of the job opportunities APS has available HERE
See Vania Pacheco’s Interview and our latest News Desk Episode HERE
(602) 216-9503 I info@jagaz.org